The present invention relates to an improved type of fishing lure. The lure of the present invention is intended to simulate a naturally occurring organism which is known to be a natural food source for a variety of fish.
The art with respect to fishing lures is quite extensive. Numerous lures have been invented and developed over time, all of which have the main purpose of attempting to attract and catch fish. Hence, it is well known that lures containing bright metallic surfaces, feathered, surfaces, and the like have been developed as have lures having moving parts intended to result in a certain type of water movement when pulled through the water for the purpose of attracting fish. There is also a host of lures which have been developed simulating various types of organisms, such as minnows and the like, or other types of organisms wherein it is known that they are the food source for various species of fish. In most instances, such lures are formed of a pliable plastic material, and painted with a view toward simulating the natural occurring species for which the lure is intended to simulate. A good example of such types of lures are the ones that simulate minnows, small water snakes, and the like. It is well known that these types of species, when naturally occurring, are a food source for varieties of fish such as perch, salmon, and other similar species.
In terms of the most pertinent patented prior art, patent no. 3,349,513 illustrates a fishing lure which is formed of a pliable material in the form of an earthworm, eel or similar species. As is typical of the prior art lures, the tail section includes a coil tail, which as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the subject drawings, will uncoil during the pulling action as the same is pulled through the water. Indeed, the tail assumes an almost straight configuration since the coil almost totally uncoils as it is pulled, which necessarily means that a circular vibratory motion cannot be induced by such a tail since it is uncoiled into almost a straight format. Similar comments are applicable with respect to the fishing lure shown in patent no. 2,690,026, wherein the fishing lure shown therein is in the format of a small snake or eel, and again is made of a pliable material such that when pulled through the water as generally illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, causes the body section to substantially flatten out the present a straight body section in the water. Again, once the coiled body section uncoils during the pulling action, it is not possible to set up the proper vibratory movement in order to make the lure an attractive food source to fish. Similar prior art problems are evident with respect to patent no. 3,037,316 which again shows a lure body wherein a pair of coiled sections are incorporated in the tail section. As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings therein, incident to the pulling action of the lure, the coiled body sections basically flatten out, and do not maintain their coiled or bellows configuration in order to set up the proper vibratory action in the water. Canadian patent no. 700,202, again shows a lure in the form of a snake or eel or other similar species, which is precoiled, but uncoils during the pulling action. As shown in FIG. 2 of the Canadian patent, when pulled through the water, the body section basically uncoils and therefore, cannot achieve a proper circular vibratory movement of the lure as it moves through the water.
The present invention differs from the prior art in that the present invention contemplates the provision of a lure wherein the tail section is formed in a bellows-like configuration, which maintains a tightened bellows configuration when at rest, but when pulled through the water, expands into an expanded bellows type configuration, maintaining at all times the bellows configuration. By maintaining the bellows configuration, a circular vibratory pattern to the water is created which is believed to be far more attractive to the fish species attempting to be caught than the prior art lures are able to achieve. It is further to be noted that with respect to the present invention, the lure body may be altered in that different formats of species may be employed, so long as the proper bellows-type tail section is incorporated with respect to the body section. The present invention contemplates the use of a frog and/or tadpole species for the lure in that it is intended that the present lure be primarily used for varieties of fish such as perch, salmon and other similar species which feed upon tadpoles and frogs.
The present invention is intended to provide a lure which simulates the body of a frog in its various stages of development, but which further includes a novel tail section intended to provide a circular vibratory motion when dragged through the water for the purpose of attracting fish. The lure is provided with a body section simulating a frog or a tadpole, the tadpole being a stage of development of the frog. Indeed, tadpoles represent the stage of development wherein the frog is approximately 2 weeks old, whereas the full frog body is the fully developed frog which occurs some number of weeks thereafter. Plasticized frog bodies have been known in the art, and have been utilized as sythetic lures, but have not been particularly successful as lures in terms of fishing. It is, however, well known that tadpoles and frogs are in fact a food source for a variety of fish species, and it was determined that in order for such lures to be operationally successful, a device creating a vibratory motion when the lure is pulled through the water must be incorporated in order for the lure to be successful. The present invention contemplates utilizing a plasticized body section simulating a frog or tadpole, which incorporates therein a coiled tail section formed of a plastic material, which will achieve a bellows action when pulled through water in order to create a circular vibratory motion and has a self-memory to return to its tightened bellows position when at rest. The intention is that the tail section be formed of a plasticized material which will normally biasingly urge the tail into a tight bellows configuration when the lure is still, but will achieve an expanded bellows configuration as the lure is pulled through the water in order to trail behind the lure and create a circular vibratory motion to attract fish.